The report by the State Department of Education found nearly 68-percent of public school students graduated, while 24- percent dropped out.  Those preliminary numbers are from the 2006-2007 school year. State Schools Chief Jack O’Connell also points out disturbing news in certain ethnic groups. 
“Our African American dropout rate, over forty percent, it’s 41-point-six percent, for our Latinos, it’s 30-point-three percent. This is a crisis…” 
Last year’s dropout rate was reported at 13-percent but that was determined using data from enrollment numbers.  O’Connell says you can’t really compare because this year the state has been able to track individual students.